11/16/2008
Marriage Equality Protests Sweep Nation - Photo Gallery
Images are flowing in from the "Join the Impact" rallies in support of marriage equality that went on across the nation yesterday. I'll be bringing you reports and photos as well as any important video that comes in. If you're in a location and see I don't have an image from that city, and you have one, please send it in to tips@towleroad.com - thanks. It would help if you have multiple shots to not send them one at a time, but in one email.
Also, if any of you have pointed us to Flickr or Picasa or similar galleries and webpages, because we're getting so many pictures we're too swamped at the moment to scour your online galleries, if you could email us a few of your best shots that would help a lot. Also, reports on the march - even brief ones on attendance or incidents - are encouraged. I believe Picasa and Flickr users can email galleries to us in a zip file directly from your accounts, and obviously web-ready sizes are best.
We've been posting all the photos in a huge reader-submitted Huge Gallery HERE. So far we have photos up from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia Washington, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.
*NOTE - I still have a LOT more of your photos to go through and put in the gallery so keep checking back if you don't see them.
A DAY OF PROTEST FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY [towleroad gallery]
Posted 11:30 AM EST by Andy Towle in Activism, California, News, Proposition 8 | Permalink
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Photo and some videos from Philly rally. Mike Mercavage from Repent America also made an appearance and you'll see some video of that.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ed.biebel/Prop8Rally#
Posted by: Ed | Nov 15, 2008 8:15:46 PM
My Facebook album from San Francisco:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30166394&id=1300955230#/album.php?aid=2009573&id=1300955230
(The photos on Facebook are smaller than the ones on my blog, but there are several on Facebook that I didn't put on my blog.)
Posted by: BG | Nov 15, 2008 8:26:56 PM
San Diego turnout was estimated at 20-25k! It was awesome and so empowering. We can do this!
Posted by: Jim | Nov 15, 2008 8:36:48 PM
Cincinnati, OH:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tyreseus/sets/72157609161951065/
Posted by: jerekeys | Nov 15, 2008 8:43:43 PM
Photos from the Tucson and Phoenix, AZ protests here: http://www.homersworld.blogspot.com/
Posted by: homer | Nov 15, 2008 8:50:41 PM
We had more modest crowds, along with pouring rain, in little Burlington, VT, but I was happy that a couple hundred of us braved the elements to stand in solidarity against inequality. A few photos on my blog:
http://placeinsun.blogspot.com/2008/11/join-impact-vermont.html
We're hoping that in VT marriage legislation will pass in 2009 and that our governor (a Republican in liberal VT, go figure) won't veto it. Since being the first state to allow CUs in 2000, we've been working at a grassroots level to take the separate out of equal. The people of VT now support marriage by a sizable margin. As will the rest of the country one day.
It's a thrill to see so many people energized and joining together today. Proving that good things can come from unfair setbacks.
Posted by: Ernie | Nov 15, 2008 8:54:04 PM
I would like to have sent a photo of the protest against proposition 8 in my former home town, Oklahoma City. But when I searched that city's major newspaper for the possibility of a photo, they came back with
'Sorry, but we don't have any articles that match "gay"'
Posted by: Jim | Nov 15, 2008 9:23:38 PM
There was a great turnout in ORLANDO...possibly as many as 2,000 people.
Posted by: Todd | Nov 15, 2008 9:26:58 PM
First, Jim, for OKC photos see this flickr album:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66316834@N00/sets/72157609150711047/
Don't expect anything from Oklahoman and you won't be disappointed.
Second, I am unable to open Oklahoma album. Tried 2 different browsers. Anyone else having trouble?
Posted by: Rena | Nov 15, 2008 9:53:48 PM
It's reported that Wanda Sykes came out publicly at the LA rally.
Quelle suprise!
Posted by: Julian | Nov 15, 2008 10:01:27 PM
i can't open any of the albums
Posted by: jamesf | Nov 15, 2008 10:10:08 PM
I've got some AMAZING pictures from San Diego (totally unlike what's already posted). Click the URL link to see just one of them.
HOW DO I GET THEM POSTED HERE?
Posted by: Papa Tony | Nov 15, 2008 10:36:34 PM
Join The Impact - NYC Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN69bvCYPM4
Posted by: Wayne | Nov 15, 2008 10:55:13 PM
Julian, I don't know about L.A. but Wanda Sykes was here in Vegas and got up and gave a speech abut her gay marriage! Local reporter Steve Friess actually got an interview with her, here's the link;
http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2008/11/wanda-sykes-lv-gay-rally-im-proud-to-be.html
If i can figure out how to resize the video I'll be posting it on my blog asap.
Posted by: Derek Washington | Nov 15, 2008 10:59:59 PM
Dallas, TX images:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcdallas/sets/72157609146710305
Posted by: Richard | Nov 15, 2008 11:44:42 PM
Great showings in many cities.
Please email Congresspeople and the Governor of California urging them to continue to fight for marriage equality.
http://www.standingupforcalifornia.com/action/assembly_email.html
http://gov.ca.gov/interact
Email Congresspeople and Governor of New York urging them to pursue marriage equality.
http://www.ny.gov/governor/contact/index.html
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
Posted by: Bill | Nov 16, 2008 12:04:09 AM
http://newjerseydelli.typepad.com/photos/rainbow_connection_the_ti/index.html
Posted by: dello | Nov 16, 2008 12:08:15 AM
Hurray for Wanda Sykes for publicly coming out. Excellent timing. And, God, is she funny as hell... Love her!!!
I would bet money that many of the Yes of Prop. 8 people envisioned that if they won, they would then just get to sit back and relax while those practitioners of the homosexual lifestyle just said "Oh, well," and gave up on trying for something so preposterous as equal relationship rights.
I think the side effects of their short-term victory will be a huge long-term loss (while of course a long-term victory for fairness and justice). Marriage equality will be restored in California either rather soon by the courts, or within a few years by popular vote. But not only that -- the Prop H8 types are SCREWED relative to the northeast right now. NY, NJ, VT, RI, and Maine are ripe for marriage equality within the next few years -- if not (in NY) the next few months. Things may also turn out favorably in Iowa and other surprising places. Today's protests and the Seven Weeks coming up will absolutely help.
While, generally, time is on our side. Time brings enlightenment. Time brings the questioning of dogma. Time brings forth new generations who aren't ignorant fools.
The current movement is immensely satisfying to me personally to see. I came out in early 1992. In November 1992, Oregon and Colorado voted on anti-gay ballot initiatives. The Oregon initiative (Measure 9) (Google a certain evil creature named Lon Mabon), which was far worse and truly pre-Nazi-ish, failed, but the Colorado initiative, which was horrifying enough, passed. The Colorado initiative (Amendment 2) invalidated antidiscrimination laws concerning sexual orientation in 3 cities in Colorado, and banned such laws in the state in the future. It was simply horrifying. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Amendment 2 in 1996.
But the fact that the Colorado initiative passed, at the same time Bill Clinton was first elected was unbelievably bad. (Colorado was subsequently boycotted in a big way.) It was crazily aggressive against an already vulnerable minority. (The fundamentalist "Christian" thugs in Colorado Springs -- including one Will Perkins -- had a lot to do with it.) Sorry for the history lesson, but I'm just remembering how horrible and depressing that was...and contrasting it with the self-respect, hope, love, maturity, and good mental health that we have now.
We are, overall, vastly more empowered today. It's an incredibly beautiful thing.
And remember November 15, 2008 -- a great day for all humanity.
Posted by: Mark | Nov 16, 2008 1:27:39 AM
1. Anthrax? Pleaaeeese!!
No Gay person sent that!
If you want to start a war, attack your own and blame it on your enemy.
It's either a set-up against us or some right-wing-nut sent it.
2. Here's the coverage on our rally here in Dayton, Ohio
http://www.whiotv.com/news/17990805/detail.html
Posted by: GaryJ | Nov 16, 2008 2:39:19 AM
that ireport video is wonderful!!
Posted by: KFLO | Nov 16, 2008 3:44:22 AM
Pittsburgh, PA Protest
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents
Post:
http://www.pghlesbian.com/blog/_archives/2008/11/15/3979506.html
Gallery:
http://www.pghlesbian.com/blog/JointheImpactPittsburgh
Posted by: Ctb | Nov 16, 2008 5:46:17 AM
I forced my boyfriend to go to the rally here in Chicago. He wasn't reluctant, but we really didn't know what to expect.
Well...we are so happy we went!! It was exhilariting!! Amazing!!
We marched through the streets, with one purpose to STOP HATE!! We didn't have any opposition, there may have been 2 or 3 people on the other side.
it was amazing...we stopped traffic, the police did not stop us because they know in Chicago we have a right to be heard. And they have their own gays on the force who they support!!
I was so excited about the number of youth that were out there fighting for our rights.
it doesn't matter if you are for gay marriage or not, it is a the principle...you don't fuck with us!!!
Most of the people in Downtown Chicago shopping (uh, I thought there was a recession, could have fooled me, that is another story).
The people who watched us and cheered for us, were so funny, they actually said they thought it was a parade. That is how "peaceful" it was!!
it is just the begining!!
I think the next big thing should be FOX news, those bastards didn't even cover the protest. And I think we should get a hold of Bill O'Reily and just beat the shit out of him!! He is such a tool. I don't avocate violence, but who the fuck are these people who are against, a bunch of fat old bastards!! Who got rich off of these poor innocent "sheep". I mean James Dobson, God what happen to our rebellious youth...they listen to that old "codger". course I am getting off subject.
We will prevail, but it takes everyone!!
Posted by: paul | Nov 16, 2008 8:25:58 AM
Here are some shots from the Rally in Charleston, South Carolina.
http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=757945814#/album.php?aid=68926&id=757945814
Posted by: Steve | Nov 16, 2008 9:15:26 AM
Andy, the "twin" photo is deep. More mothers & fathers should be asking our government, "Why does one of my children HAVE rights while my other does not?"
Thye should also DEMAND an answer.
Any good answers?
Posted by: John Bisceglia | Nov 16, 2008 11:43:38 AM
See, if we were crazy fundamentalists, we'd say something, "Look! God is punishing California with fires for voting away gays' rights!"
Posted by: freddy | Nov 16, 2008 12:30:32 PM